


Surprise(?)

by Selvanic



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Gang's all here - Freeform, Gen, I love these kids, M/M, Mostly Fluff, Post-Game, and rip me this is a day late, birthday fic, my own ongoing redemption arc au thing, non-canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2019-05-18 01:04:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14842641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Selvanic/pseuds/Selvanic
Summary: Goro Akechi never thought he'd see a birthday beyond his eighteenth, and he'd never been fond of his birthday anyway. But now that he's trying to take it back, how will he celebrate?





	Surprise(?)

**Author's Note:**

> Huge thanks to my fiancee (Kamikrazy) for giving me the suggestion of what to write and reading it when it was done. 
> 
> Huge thanks, also, to Chromophilic_Daydream for inspiring me to write for these boys and for reading it over before I posted it. 
> 
> This wouldn't be here without either of them.

His birthday had landed on a Saturday, and for a brief time he had toyed with the idea of doing something for himself after his classes had ended in the afternoon. He was trying to make a more concerted effort to care about the day, having spent the previous years both dreading and loathing the reminder of what he’d seen as his cursed existence, and having never planned for any beyond his eighteenth. He was trying to take more ownership over his life and use the time he’d otherwise counted out to atone for all the years that had come before. So when he had to discard what tenuous plans he’d arranged for himself due to a last minute call from Sae asking him to work overtime, he felt more than a little tinge of frustration and bitter amusement. Of course things would work out this way; fate had enjoyed using him as a whipping boy for eighteen years. Why would the nineteenth be any different?

 

Just because some debonaire thief spat in the eye of a would-be god and wrested both of their lives from its manipulative fingers, refusing the rules and freeing them both of the twisted game they’d been nothing but pawns in, and in turn forcing  _ him _ to live a life he didn’t think he deserved—

 

No. There was no point in musing over what “should have been”, or what he might think they “deserved” after all the two of them had been through. Despite Joker’s best efforts—no, the efforts of  _ all _ of the Phantom Thieves—reality continued as it would, making its demands and refusing to be denied without consequence. 

 

And so Goro Akechi worked overtime on his birthday. 

 

He arrived at the department building earlier than he’d anticipated and made his way to Sae’s office, knocking lightly before letting himself in. The greeting of mixed sarcasm and passive aggression he’d prepared on his way quickly died on his lips when he saw her on the phone, her brief moment of surprise promptly replaced by a stern look that demanded his silence. Despite his mood, he had too much respect for her to be outright rude. 

 

“He just arrived actually,” she said coolly, eyeing Goro for a moment. “No, it’s fine. I have plenty of work for him to do.” The woman shifted her weight with a natural elegance the young man was occasionally envious of, listening intently to the voice on the other end. From what little he could make out, the other person sounded feminine. 

 

“I understand. I’ll do my best.” Sae offered a brief parting remark before hanging up and turning her full attention on Goro, who continued to stand in her doorway. “You can come in, you know.” 

 

Goro smiled pleasantly, setting his attache case on the floor and taking a seat across from her. “Superiors hoping to cash in on our hard work again?” he asked, opting to forgo the greeting altogether. 

 

Sae shook her head. “Mostly yours. They know I won’t stand for it anymore.” She shifted her weight again, this time moving to open one of her desk drawers. From it she produced a small white box, tied shut with bright red ribbon. “Happy birthday, by the way.” 

 

Blinking in momentary surprise, Goro felt an unexpected rush of both gratitude and honest joy, and he knew that he’d slipped enough to let it show on his face. Doing his best to recompose himself, he reached out and accepted the gift. “You didn’t have to get me anything, Sae-san…Really.” 

 

She waved off his comment, feigning sudden interest in the papers on her desk to hide her embarrassment. “Just open it and tell me if I should be exchanging it or not.” 

 

Goro sat back in his chair, staring at the gift in question for a long moment. It was far from the only present he’d ever received. Back when the public still knew his name, he received more than his share of trinkets and baubles and souvenirs, all ploys for his attention. And all of them had been entirely meaningless. They hadn’t been meant for  _ him _ anyway; they were all meant for the scrubbed clean, sterile, two-dimensional and carefully curated farce that was the Goro Akechi in the public eye. He hadn’t given a single one of those ‘gifts’ a second look; each and every one of them, from the homemade junk to the chocolates to the declarations of undying love, made him sick to his stomach. 

 

But Sae was different. Sae had known him— _ really _ known him—for over a year now. And despite everything coming to light, she’d still welcomed him back, albeit with justifiable reservations. She’d listened to him in his days of ‘fame’, offering a shoulder to lean on in his weakest moments and a sympathetic ear when the people they mutually worked with were literal trash. She’d found out about his past and his intentions and had seen in him someone who needed help. Help she was willing to offer. And having worked alongside her in her efforts to be as impressive a defense lawyer as she had been a prosecutor, he’d come to genuinely appreciate her occasionally overbearing presence in his life.

 

Nevertheless, they had never really exchanged gifts before. He simply assumed it wasn’t his place and that she wasn’t interested or comfortable in giving him anything. They took turns paying for lunches, and they alternated who paid for coffee, but nothing quite so formal. 

 

He hadn’t known how much of a difference it would make receiving a gift from someone who actually  _ cared _ .  

 

Goro carefully untied the ribbon, rolling it up and setting it down on the corner of Sae’s desk. His hands trembled slightly as he opened the box, a strange sense of eagerness knotted in his chest. Inside, nested on a bed of black satin, was a simple gold tie clip with his signature ‘A’ engraved on the end. It was such an absurd gift, such an odd blend of his childish need to put his name on things and an exceedingly mature wardrobe accessory, that he couldn’t help but feel it was perfect. 

 

“Thank you, Sae-san,” he said, the barest hint of laughter in his voice, “It’s...it’s very me.” 

 

She smiled then, the expression warm and relieved and pleased all at once. “I’m glad you think so. The engraver gave me a bit of a look when I asked for it.” 

 

Goro laughed and quickly set about clipping his gift to the tie he’d put on for work. “How does it look?” 

 

Sae got up from her seat and moved around her desk to crouch in front of him, gently adjusting and straightening his tie. It was almost enough to make him laugh again, but the genuine care in her touch was...surprisingly welcome. “There.” She stepped back, examining the finished product. “Perfect.” 

 

Goro couldn’t help but smile, feeling significantly better than he had at the beginning of the day. Maybe his birthday wasn’t a  _ total _ write-off. Still, he wasn’t here just to have a pleasant conversation. “Well then, shall we get to work?” he teased, “I hear you have plenty for me to do.” 

 

Rolling her eyes, Sae moved back to her desk and organized the paper there into two piles, handing one to the waiting young man. “If you could look these over and make note of the most important details, I’d greatly appreciate it.” She looked tired for a moment, her shoulders dropping briefly. “So many of these clients don’t know how to be concise, and I often have to wade through a lot of unnecessary details before I understand exactly what their case is.”

 

The young man looked down at the papers he’d been given, thumbing through them thoughtfully and immediately noticing what she’d described. He shook his head and sighed, shifting his weight and rolling up his sleeves to settle in for the long haul. “I’ll do my best.” 

 

While it still wasn’t an ideal way to spend his birthday, it wasn’t the worst either. Sae made for good company, and the work—while tedious—was far from overtaxing. And his improved mood from the gift he’d been given helped motivate him to work a little harder than usual. It was the least he could do to thank her after all.

 

And in the end, he surprised her with his efficiency. 

 

“All done,” he announced proudly, setting down his pile of paper with his neatly written summary clipped to the top. “That was easier than I thought it would be.” 

 

Sae stared for a moment, her jaw slack as she processed what he’d just handed her. She put down her own work, picking his up and looking it over quickly. He watched her eyes scan his notes, eventually raising to meet his expectant ones. 

 

“I should ask you to help me with these more often,” she muttered, sitting back in her seat and running her fingers through her hair. “You finished that much faster than I thought you would.” 

 

Laughing softly, Goro couldn’t help but let his ego puff up in the face of Sae’s praise. She was rarely so openly impressed with him, though he did catch the hint of disappointment in her tone. “Were you hoping to stump me, Sae-san?” 

 

The woman flushed slightly, sitting up to her full height and huffing in overacted offense. “I was hoping to get your help, Goro. I’m just impressed you did so well, given you had a full morning of classes before this.” 

 

“What can I say?” The young man shrugged, all but preening like a self-satisfied bird. “I’m on a roll. It  _ is _ my day after all.” It felt odd to take pride in his birthday, but also somewhat satisfying. Maybe he could take it back…

 

Sae pressed her lips together, sitting back again and drumming her fingers on her desk. “Well then,” she started tentatively, almost reluctantly, “I suppose...that’s all I have for you to do.” 

 

Goro rolled his eyes, crossing his arms despite the smug smile still comfortably settled on his face. “Don’t sound so disappointed, Sae-san. Just think of how much time I’ve saved you as well. I’m sure Makoto will be happy to have you come home early.” 

 

For a moment, the young man thought he saw panic in his coworker’s eyes, but the look was gone almost as soon as it had appeared. And Sae’s voice betrayed no emotions besides her usual resigned frustration when dealing with him at what she termed his ‘least tolerable’. “I suppose so. And I do appreciate your hard work.” She looked at him through her eyelashes, her eyes challenging him to say something more. 

 

Instead of rising to the challenge, Goro just shifted his weight to stand as ‘innocently’ as possible, smiling all the while. “Does that mean I’m free to go?” 

 

Sae stared at the papers in front of her once more before rubbing the bridge of her nose. “Yes, you are. Enjoy the rest of your birthday, Goro.” 

 

The young man laughed, the sound mostly genuine. “Please don’t overwork yourself, Sae-san. You deserve a day off too.” He reached one hand up, gently brushing his thumb against the tie clip. “And thank you again.” 

 

“You’re welcome,” she replied, her expression softening noticeably. “I’m glad you like it.” 

 

Goro nodded, collecting his things and keeping himself from getting caught up in pleasant conversation. As much as spending what was left of his birthday with Sae would be agreeable, he honestly didn’t want to keep her from her work and, in turn, keep her from going home. He and Makoto shared several courses, and the girl still complained about not seeing her sister as often as she’d like. He hardly wanted to contribute to that anymore than he already did.

 

Bidding the woman one last pleasant farewell, he collected his things and made his way out of the department. He had just stepped outside when the sound of Sae’s heels behind him caught his attention. 

 

“Goro!” She waved him down, her breathing coming just a little harder for her having run after him. “Are you heading home now?”

 

He stared at his coworker curiously for a moment, cocking his head to one side. “I was planning on grabbing a coffee at Leblanc first...Why?” 

 

Letting out a short sigh and standing at her full height, Sae recomposed herself and said matter-of-factly, “Makoto wanted to see you today too. She’s at Shibuya Station.” 

 

“Well...it’s on my way, so…” Goro rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged. “I can certainly take a momentary detour to say hello.” 

 

“Thank you,” Sae smiled, looking momentarily nervous before professionalism took its place. 

 

She apologized for startling him, offering him another fond farewell before heading back into the building. He watched her go, confused by the sudden interruption but opting not to worry too much about it. Shibuya really was on his way, so it would only be a brief stop over there to chat with Makoto; besides studying together, the two of them really didn’t spend too much time talking. 

 

The trains were a little more crowded than he’d like, but the ride was still a relatively short one. He maneuvered his way through the crowds, making his way down to the underground shops and spotting Makoto easily enough. Especially because she was accompanied by a frantic looking Ann. 

 

“Is everything alright?” he asked as he arrived within earshot. 

 

The model almost jumped out of her skin, pivoting quickly. “Goro!” She nearly shouted his name, leaping forward and grabbing his arm with both of her hands. “Hi!” 

 

Goro winced, eyes widening as he fought the urge to pull away from her. “Ah...hello? Is...Is there something you needed?” 

 

“Yes! Yes there is!” Makoto suddenly stepped in, prying the blonde off of the detective’s arm. She laughed nervously, shooting the other girl a look before focusing—a little  _ too  _ intently—on Goro again. “Ann...um...lost her phone! Yeah! We were shopping and she dropped it and we...uh...we need some help!” 

 

“From a detective!” Ann almost shouted again, eyes wide and fixed on Goro’s face. “You’ll obviously be better at looking for things than we are!” 

 

The young man smiled nervously, frightened by the girls’ oddly aggressive and stilted behaviour. They were clearly hiding something from him, but what? And  _ why _ ? “Makoto,” he started slowly, “Don’t you...have your phone? Couldn’t you just call Ann’s?” 

 

Flushing slightly, Makoto turned her eyes away from his and fidgeted for a moment, opening and closing her mouth for a moment before replying. “Ann’s phone is...on silent mode right now.” 

 

Goro frowned, running a hand through his hair and looking at both girls in turn again. “Alright...so I suppose we should...split up?”

 

“Great idea!” Ann answered just a little  _ too _ enthusiastically, clapping her hands in front of herself. “This is why we called you! You always keep such a level head when things go wrong!” 

 

Goro laughed nervously, asking which stores she’d frequented between the time she’d last seen her phone and when she realized it was missing. Between the two of them, they identified three of the busiest stores in the underground mall, including one he was dubious about her having visited, and split up accordingly. He was halfway through navigating the crowded shop when it hit him: had Makoto really asked Sae to send him her way just to find Ann’s missing cell phone? 

 

There was no way the girl didn’t know what day it was, or that he’d been asked to work overtime if she’d called her sister. And she was usually the most rational of all of them; wouldn’t she have told Ann that bothering him was a bit over the top for a missing phone? 

 

Carefully working his way back out of the store and standing outside of the one he’d sent Ann into, he pulled out his own phone and dialled her number, eyes fixed on the back of the girl’s head. Just as he expected, the high, pleasant, sound of her ringtone managed to squeak out over the noise of the crowd and she promptly panicked, flailing momentarily before wrestling the device out of her pocket and turning it off. 

 

“Seems you found it,” Goro said as he approached her, voice dripping with put-on pleasantry. “Were you going to let me know?” 

 

Ann flushed a deep scarlet from her neck to her forehead and sputtered for a moment, looking around—no doubt for Makoto—before smiling a too-bright nervous smile. “Well obviously! I...uh...I’d just found it a little bit ago so I hadn’t had a chance to text you yet.” She laughed, too quickly, and shrugged. “But we got it! Crisis over! Hooray, right?” 

 

The young detective stared at her for a long moment, trying to figure out why she’d felt the need to lie to him about a missing phone. They’d obviously planned this whole thing—poorly—but why? 

 

Makoto joined them quickly, smiling as nervously as the model was. “I’m so glad you found it,” she said, her tone mirroring Ann’s too-pleasant one. “Thank you so much for your help, Goro.” 

 

“Anytime,” he replied, though he did nothing to hide the suspicion in his voice. “Though you might try checking your pockets first next time.”

 

Ann gasped dramatically, looking scandalized and puffing herself up to seem as affronted as possible. “How  _ dare _ you, Goro! Are you...Do you think we lied to you?” 

 

Red-brown eyes met blue with flat and open unimpressed honesty. “Absolutely.” 

 

Neither girl seemed to know what to do with his response. After a long moment, their silence ‘masked’ by the noise of the crowd moving around them, Makoto finally spoke up. “Well, regardless of how you feel, we appreciate your help.” She nodded curtly, gathering her composure in a way very similar to that of her older sister. “And happy birthday, by the way.” 

 

Goro couldn’t help but laugh at that, shaking his head and relaxing his shoulders. “Thank you, I suppose. Now, if that’s all you need from me, I’d like to be on my way.” 

 

The two girls exchanged looks before nodding, bidding him farewell and waving to him as he left. He still couldn’t wrap his head around  _ why _ they’d want to waste his time like that, but it seemed harmless enough. Maybe it was some kind of odd prank. Or maybe they’d genuinely wanted his help in finding her phone. Whatever it was, it was done now, and he could finally make his way towards Leblanc for the coffee he definitely felt like he’d earned. 

 

Or so he thought. 

 

He had just arrived at the Yongenjaya station when he was immediately accosted by Ryuji, the boy loudly calling his name before all but sprinting across the platform to grab him. 

 

“Dude! I was just talkin’ about you! Do you have a minute?” 

 

Goro blinked in confusion, staring at the excited blond before nodding slowly. “I...suppose I do, yes.” 

 

“Awesome!” Ryuji nodded shortly and immediately took off in another direction, glancing back to make sure the older boy was following him before he ducked out in the opposite direction that Goro had been heading in. 

 

Sighing heavily, Goro braced himself for whatever nonsense was coming and followed after the other, not for the first time drawing parallels between Ryuji and an over-excited dog. He couldn’t imagine what could be so important or so exciting that the younger boy could have been thinking about  _ him _ . There were days when the two of them could barely be in the same room, much less share something they both found exciting. But then, all he knew about this was that Ryuji was excited. That was no indication of how he would feel about whatever it was. 

 

As he arrived at the other end of the station, he made note of the time before tracking down where Ryuji had stopped. He was standing at one of several small tables in front of a small station bento seller, and, much to Goro’s surprise, so was Haru. 

 

“Good afternoon, Goro,” she chimed pleasantly. “Happy birthday~.” 

 

“Thank you,” he muttered awkwardly, glancing between the two of them. “Is...this what you wanted to show me Sakamoto?” 

 

Ryuji snorted and shook his head, a broad grin splitting his face. “What? That she’s here? No way, dude! That’s just part one!” 

 

“And part two is…?” He was almost afraid to ask, given the way Ryuji was smiling and the way Haru was watching them both. Was it about the bento? Or something actually about the young woman observing them? 

 

Putting a hand on his shoulder and rolling his arm like he was warming up for a fight, Ryuji said simply, “Arm wrestling!” 

 

Goro stared for a long moment, unsure that he’d heard correctly, and when no clarification presented itself he had to force himself to remain polite. “Care to elaborate?” 

 

Ryuji snorted and shook his head, as if the answer should have been obvious. “Haru’s amazin’ at them, dude! And we were just talkin’ about how you might be able to give her a run for her money because of your bouldering. And then Ann told me you were on your way over here so I figured I’d grab you before you took off.” 

 

“You were discussing this...in a chat with Ann?” The more Ryuji talked, the less Goro understood. 

 

“Well after Haru whooped me three times in a row, we started talkin’ about who could beat her and we figured it’d be you or Makoto and I knew Makoto was with Ann so—” 

 

Goro held his hand up, shaking his head in a silent request for Ryuji to stop while he was ahead. “I think I understand now. So…” He took a deep breath, glancing back at Haru who had been watching the entire exchange with a pleasant smile on her face. “You want me to...arm wrestle Haru?” 

 

Ryuji nodded quickly. “Heck yeah, dude! Makoto’s gonna give a shot later too!” 

 

The young detective looked at the girl in question. “And you’re...ok with this?” 

 

Haru laughed and smiled. “I think it’s funny. Ryuji’s just so excited about it! And I can’t say I’m not curious.” 

 

Goro sighed and set his attache case down under the table, taking a seat across from Haru and asking himself—with no small amount of wonder—just what he was doing. His birthday had gone from yet another unremarkable day, to a briefly enjoyable experience, to something almost surreal in under four hours. But he reminded himself that he was trying to get better at taking it back and making it his own, and part of that involved trying not to overthink things as he was wont to do.

 

So he took a deep breath, looked Haru straight in the eye, and nodded shortly. “Well then,” he said as confidently as he could, “Shall we?” 

 

Haru beamed and nodded quickly, cracking her knuckles and putting her arm on the table. For a moment, Goro felt a very real pang of fear, remembering how the girl fought in Mementos and that she had every reason to want to hurt him. But this was just a game. And the both of them had had a number of conversations about what had happened. While she couldn’t forgive him—and he didn’t expect her to—they’d reached something of an agreement and had put in effort to keep things pleasant. So this really was just a game. And with that in mind, he would play to win. 

 

Ryuji stepped in and took each of their hands, locking them together in the proper arm wrestling position. “Alright,” he announced, catching the attention of several passers-by, “On three. One...Two…” He paused, his grin so broad it almost unnerved Goro. “Three!” 

 

The resistance he met was surprising, Haru’s arm locked tightly and her fingers digging into his hand. So what he saw in Mementos  _ wasn’t _ just for show. He pushed back, holding on just as tightly and meeting her eyes with his own. There was a fierceness there, a determination not to lose, and he had to admit he admired it. 

 

To the side, Ryuji cheered for them, offering his support for both of them in turn and attracting even more attention as a result. Goro did his best to ignore the blond, focusing on the girl across from him and waiting for his opening. His muscles were straining, but he could feel her beginning to shake as well. If he could hold out just a little bit longer…

 

And there it was. Haru flexed her fingers just so, indicating a moment of discomfort, and Goro quickly exploited it. He pushed her arm down, earning a soft, startled, cry in response, and feeling oddly satisfied with his simple victory. He heard Ryuji groan, and he bit back the urge to say something snide as a result. Instead, he looked at his opponent and smiled. 

 

“That was quite the match, Haru. I’m very impressed.” He rubbed his hand gently where it was starting to feel sore. “You’re much stronger than you look.” 

 

“You too, Goro,” she giggled, sitting back comfortably in her seat. “We should do this again sometime.” 

 

“Rematch!” Ryuji clapped the older boy on the shoulder. “Let’s make it two out of three!” 

 

Goro tried not to flinch, laughing politely and getting up out of his seat. “No, no...I think one is quite enough.” He looked at the girl again, noting how comfortable she looked. “I think she threw the match, to be honest. Maybe as a birthday present.” 

 

Haru laughed but said nothing, instead brushing some of her soft hair back behind her ear. She was playing coy. Her show of ‘weakness’ had been deliberate. She was a lot more devious than people gave her credit for…

 

“I should go, though,” he said as he collected up his things, “I do have  _ some _ plans, after all, and I wouldn’t want to be in the way when Makoto comes through.” 

 

Ryuji—who had paused in his enthusiasm long enough to look at his phone—suddenly looked back at the older boy with something momentarily akin to panic “B-But if she threw it you should do it again, right? I mean, one more legit one won’t hurt.” 

 

“Maybe another time,” Goro politely declined, beginning to move away from the pair. Something was decidedly off about Ryuji’s behaviour as well, and the way Haru was glancing between them...There was something else going on. “I promise we’ll settle it properly when neither of us has any reason to go easy on the other.” 

 

Haru hummed, giving Ryuji a look that stopped whatever protest had been on the young man’s lips. “That sounds fair. Enjoy the rest of your birthday, Goro!” 

 

He offered his thanks and quickly ducked into the crowd, crossing back to the side of the station that he wanted to be on and making his way into Yongenjaya properly. It felt good to be out and away from the crowds, and he could see the awning over Leblanc’s door just ahead. It would feel good to finally sit down and do something for himself, to indulge in his favourite cup of coffee and some good company. Some good company he was hoping might one day be...a little more than just that. 

 

Shaking the thought away, Goro made his way down the alley and towards the cafe only to find the door blocked by...the single strangest thing he’d seen all day.

 

Yusuke and Futaba were right outside the door, the artist giving soft but short instructions while the eccentric young lady presumably carried them out. She would squat with one arm sticking out, the other straight ahead. Then she would stand, one leg kicked out in front of her and both arms thrown up over her head. It was as if she were performing some kind of bizarre interpretive dance. 

 

Clearing his throat as he approached, he caught both of their attention and waved politely. “Hello. What are you two doing?”

 

“Well, Akira asked us to—”

 

Futaba squawked and slapped her significantly taller friend on the chest several times in rapid succession. “He asked Inari to help me get more exercise!” she all but shrieked, making sure her volume covered up whatever Yusuke had been about to say. “I’m doing...uh...uh…” She paused, looking up at her friend. “What’re these called again?” 

 

“Calisthenics,” the artist replied simply, “But I’m challenging some of the more traditional forms. Exercise is, after all, a type of art in and of itself.” 

 

“I see…” Goro considered them both for a moment and then moved to walk past them. “Well, I suppose I’ll leave you to it then.” 

 

The girl made another indelicate noise and threw herself bodily into the doorway. “Not yet!” She flushed and looked around herself before beginning to wave her arms up and down like a child’s attempt at flying. “Inari...uhhhh...says the doorway frames me best!” 

 

“Ah yes,” Yusuke nodded, stepping back and considering Futaba through the frame of his hands. “The doorway does make an excellent frame. Particularly for one of your size.” 

 

“Hey!” Futaba huffed, shaking her small fist at the onlooking artist. “Don’t make fun of my height just because you’re a giant, Inari!” 

 

Yusuke ignored her outbursts, instead correcting her posture and asking her to try a different position. As interesting as it was to watch the two of them banter, Goro really did just want his coffee at this point. And it was painfully obvious that the two in front of him had been sent to keep that from happening. He couldn’t help but think that that was why everyone else had shown such a vested interest in using up his time as well. 

 

Akira was hiding something from him. 

 

He cleared his throat again, smiling as pleasantly as his fraying nerves would allow. “Could you perhaps pause your efforts for just a moment?” he asked through nearly gritted teeth. “I just need to get past you.” 

 

Futaba huffed, planting her feet more firmly on the ground. “You can’t interrupt an artist!” she all but shouted, “Inari’s in a groove and you don’t want to be the one who ruins it for him.” She dropped her voice to a stage whisper then, eyeing the detective conspiratorially, “Trust me. It gets ugly.” 

 

Goro pressed his lips together into a tight line, swallowing his frustration and looking, instead, to the artist in question. “Kitagawa, you don’t mind, do you?” 

 

“Hm?” The taller young man turned to look at him, staring at him as if he’d forgotten Goro had been there at all. “Do I mind what?” 

 

“If I go inside.” He bit out each syllable in turn, feeling a headache building behind his temples. “I just need Futaba to move for a moment.” 

 

Yusuke nodded. “I suppose you would. But I need her for only a moment longer. Perhaps you could model alongside her. The size difference and contrast in personality might provide quite the aesthetic appeal.” 

 

“I...That’s very kind of you to say, Kitagawa, but I would really just like to get some coffee and get off my feet.” He chuckled dryly, gesturing once more to the door. “So if you wouldn’t mind…” 

 

“Ah! Wait!” Yusuke suddenly stepped back, turning his ‘frame’ on Goro. “That look of exhaustion, that universal weight on your shoulders…” His dark eyes seemed to sparkle as he stared at the older boy. “You are a perfect image of the suffering of our generation, the need to be more than we are but never meeting the standards put out for us. Could you perhaps hold that expression for just a moment later?” 

 

Goro wasn’t sure how to take Yusuke’s comments. The artist was startlingly observant sometimes and could often be as tactlessly blunt as Futaba when inspiration struck. And while the sentiment was meant kindly, it did sting a little bit. “Perhaps another time?” he offered, smiling apologetically. “I’m not sure I have the energy to pose for you today.”

 

“That’s exactly it!” Yusuke continued excitedly. “Your exhaustion, your feeling of simply being  _ done _ with the world and its obstacles...That’s exactly what I want to capture!” 

 

Futaba giggled from where she was now crouched in the doorway, watching them both with a wide grin on her face. “Oooh...Inari’s on a roll now~. There’s no getting away.” 

 

Goro sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, taking several deep breaths to steady himself. “Kitagawa,” he tried again, “Please, just…”

 

“Done.”

 

Almost in tandem, Futaba and Goro asked in varying levels of disbelief: “What?”

 

Yusuke tucked a small sketchbook into his back pocket and nodded. “It’s only a rough sketch, and I may need you again for further development, but I captured what I needed.” 

 

Futaba was on her feet in an instant, rushing over to the artist and shaking him. “No! Inari! Do it now! I’m sure you missed something! Did you get his...his…” She stared at Goro, adjusting her oversized glasses for a moment. “His smug sense of satisfaction?”

 

“I assure you, Futaba,” Yusuke huffed, gently prying the girl off of himself. “I got everything I needed.” 

 

“But we need, like…” She glanced at her watch, eyes widening further, “Five more minutes! Of exercise!” 

 

The latter part was added desperately when she noticed Goro staring, and it took a significant effort for him not to tell her to give up on her charade. He was on to their game, at least in part, and he was fairly certain Yusuke’s burst of inspiration had lead the artist astray. It was a victory he hadn’t necessarily earned, but he would take it. 

 

“Well, I’ll leave you to finish that off,” he announced louder than he had to. If Akira was listening in, he wanted the other boy to panic. If only a little. “I’m going to get that coffee I came here for.” 

 

Futaba made another effort to stop him, but she was too slow and too small. He avoided her attempt easily, the soft jingling of the bells above the door signalling the end of his surprisingly arduous journey. 

 

And his reward?

 

Akira was behind the counter, staring at him like a deer caught in the headlights. In his hands—which were covered in flour, along with his apron, pants, and shirt—was a plate with a hurriedly decorated cake. What looked to be a third of the icing was carefully piped, but the remaining two thirds was clearly applied in a hurry, further evidence of which was apparent in the young man’s hair and on his glasses. Smears of colour mixed with the flour on his apron and under his nails, and as the initial moment of shock passed, the boy offered a sheepish smile. 

 

“Hey,” he said, trying to somehow fake a sense of composure despite the state he’d been caught in. “I thought you were working overtime today.” 

 

“I was,” Goro replied, moving to take his usual seat and deliberately letting his eyes evaluate the boy in front of him. “But I finished early. Though I’m sure you heard  _ all _ about that.” He smiled broadly, resting his elbows on the counter and his chin on the back of his hands. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” 

 

Akira huffed, turning his nose up in such a way that the light off of his glasses hid his eyes. “You don’t have to be coy, detective. You know exactly what you interrupted.” 

 

“Do I?” He pressed on with his exaggerated innocence, batting his eyelashes as he watched the other boy struggle to decide what to do with the cake. “Why don’t you tell me, just so we’re both sure?” 

 

Sighing heavily, Akira finally relented and set the cake down on the counter, glaring at the older boy even as he wiped his hands clean and pulled his phone from his pocket. As the darker haired boy typed out his message—sparing occasional glances in Goro’s direction—the detective heard noise outside. Noise that was soon very much  _ inside _ as the door was pushed open and six sets of footsteps came in. 

 

“Surprise…” Ann said sheepishly. “Happy birthday.” 

 

Makoto sighed, shaking her head and offering her own embarrassed smile. “We thought sis would hold you over a lot longer than she did.”

 

“And you weren’t half as tired as we thought you’d be,” Ryuji accused. “You were supposed to get way more distracted by us.”

 

“He was suitably distracted by us,” Yusuke interjected. “If Futaba had just been a bit more subtle…” 

 

The girl in question made an indignant noise, kicking Yusuke in the shin. “As if! You were the one who—”

 

Goro couldn’t take it. Before they could finish talking, he buckled forward, laughing harder than he thought he would. All of their absurdity, all of their terrible acting, had been to distract him from their poorly organized surprise party? Even Sae-san had been in on it. Which meant, the ‘superior’ she’d been talking to was Makoto. It was all so absurdly elaborate, and he’d been too efficient, too clever, and too impatient to cooperate with any of it. No one had ever gone to that much effort for him before, well executed or otherwise.  

 

And then it hit him.  _ No one _ had put this much effort into anything for him before. No one had ever cared enough to even try. And yet here they all were—people he’d hurt in both direct and indirect ways, people he’d tried to kill, people he’d tried to ruin—desperately trying to make sure he didn’t find out they  _ had _ tried until everything was perfect. For him. 

 

“Hey, Goro,” Akira leaned forward, still covered in the mess of his earlier labour, “are you...are you crying?”

 

The young detective swallowed thickly, wiping away the unexpected tears and smiling despite himself. “I’m just…” He choked out another small laugh, feeling embarrassed at his own sudden show of weakness. “I think you all still managed to surprise me.” 

 

Akira’s smile softened as the others offered a combination of birthday wishes and gently teasing reassurances. The former leader of the Phantom Thieves—the reason Goro was still around to even celebrate his birthday—then walked away for a moment, preparing the detective’s usual cup of coffee. 

 

As the younger boy set the drink down on the counter, he gestured for the others to be quiet for a moment. “So, seeing as we managed to surprise you at least a little, did you want your last surprise?” 

 

Goro chuckled, wiping the last of his embarrassment off of his face and recomposing himself. “Why not? You might as well see this through to the end.” 

 

“Futaba?” the boy prompted, causing the girl to jump briefly. 

 

“Oh, right!” She scurried around behind the counter, rummaging around underneath and producing an almost comically oversized red bow. She then hopped up onto the counter and slapped said ribbon onto Akira’s head. “Here’s your present!” 

 

Goro stared for a long moment, processing what had just happened and feeling a steady heat spread up his neck and into his face. “E-Excuse me?” 

 

“No return policy either,” Akira grinned. “Sorry.” 

 

He could feel the others staring at him, could feel the tension in the air as they waited for him to say something. It was as if they were all holding their breath. They’d all helped plan this part too. 

 

Using his coffee as a convenient distraction, Goro broke eye contact and took a moment to organize his thoughts. As he finished his sip, he risked a glance back at Akira. The younger boy was still smiling wickedly, fully aware that he’d cornered the detective, and for a moment Goro wondered what he saw in the ridiculous boy in front of him. But there was something else besides mischief in those stormy grey eyes. There was something genuine. And something nervous. 

 

Goro set his coffee cup down back on the saucer, unable to keep from returning the younger boy’s smile. “Well, if there’s no return policy, then I suppose I’ll just have to accept. I’m sure I’ll find  _ some _ use for you.” 

 

Akira laughed and grabbed Goro’s face between his flour and icing covered hands, inevitably leaving smears on the older boy’s cheeks. “I’m counting on it,” he replied, almost intimately close. 

 

Futaba made a loud ‘buzzer’ type noise and shoved Akira. “Knock it off! Save it for after the cake!” 

 

Her sentiment was echoed by several of the other thieves, while others heckled her for ‘ruining’ the moment, but Goro couldn’t hear any of it. His attention was fixed entirely on Akira, watching the other boy laugh, smile, move... _ be _ . There were days when he still had trouble believing everything had happened the way it had, that he’d been given the second chance he’d been given. Sometimes he resented it. Other days, he felt no one way or the other. 

 

But then there were the rare days that were like this, where he felt genuinely grateful that he hadn’t died. Where he was happy to still be able to do something with his life. And that his birthday had managed to be one of them…

  
He really did owe Joker—no,  _ Akira _ —more than he could ever say.


End file.
